Police hold anti-austerity protest in northern Greece

THESSALONIKI, Greece – Police have gathered in Greece's second largest city to provide security for large anti-austerity demonstrations planned at the weekend. But first they held a protest of their own.

Some 2,500 officers from the police, coast guard, and fire service — most in uniform — marched through the center of Thessaloniki in northern Greece Friday, demanding a reversal of salary cuts linked to the country's international bailout.

Protest organizers say the government has ignored court decisions declaring the cuts illegal and are threatening to take legal action against members of the government.

More than 5,000 officers will be on duty in the city Saturday as demonstrations are planned to coincide with an annual speech on the state of the country's economy by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.